Machine for forming brake-beams.



No. 797,311.. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. J. P. OGONNOR. MACHINE FOR FORMING BRAKE BEAMS.

APPLICATION FILED $1111.18, 1905.

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N0. $97,311- PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. "I. P. OGONNOR.

MACHINE FOR FORMING BRAKE BEAMS.

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I. P. OOONNOR. MACHINE FOR FORMING BRAKE BEAU/[fin APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1905.

etfrtdlile JUHN F; OUONNOR, OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOlti, AiidIG-NOR TO CHICAGO RAILWAY lilQUlPh IENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, 'lLLlNOIEi, A COR- PORATION OF IL'L'INUI'S.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Aug. 15, 1905..

To all 1071/0711, i1; 'IH/fl/Z/ concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. OCoNNon, a citizen of the United rltates, residing at Chicage, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Forming Brake-Beams, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same. Figs. 3, i, and 5 are vertical sectional views showing the dies in different positions. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are horizontal sectional views showing the dies in different positions and corresponding to the positions shown in Figs. 3, i, and 5, respectively; and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the beam after it is acted upon by the apparatus.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in apparatus for manufacturing brake-beams, the object being to stretch the web of a commercially rolled beam, so as to increase its depth, and consequently its strength at the center.

lilcretofore in the treatment of Fshaped sections for use as brake-beams it has been the usual practice to takea five-inch beam and after first heating the ends compress them in a bulldozer, whereby the flanges are pressed together, say, to within about four inches. the web of the beam being correspondingly thickened by this treatment. it is necessary to have the proper depth of the beam at the center, and it is also necessary to have the beam shallow at its ends, particularly in inside-hung brakes, in order that they may take the brake-shoes and still have room for movement when released.

it is the object of my invention to reverse the methods heretofore existing in the manufactu re of brake-beams, and instead of using a five-inch comniercially-rolled ii-beaml propose to use a four-inch commercially-rolled ill-beam which has the necessary shallowncss at its ends, and in order to obtain the desired depth at the center i stretch the web, restraining the flanges betweenappropriate dies, so as to make the beams uniform in appearance. The beams being tapered from the con ter to the ends in this way, the original shape of the beam is uniformly preserved at the ends, which is notalways true of the five-inch beams, whose ends are compressed to four inches and whose ends must of necessity vary, due to inequalities in manufacture.

Eitarting with a commercially-rolled fourinch iii-beam or deck beam, as the case may be, 1 first heat the same and then by means of a movable die spread the flanges apart at the center and in so doing stretch the web, main taining one flange, which forms the back of the beam, in its original shapeto wit, straight----while thefront flange is crowned or arched by the die. in the drawings I have shown the dies as being operated by mechanism which is common to ordinary bulldozers, to wit:

1 is a movable head carrying links 2, which links are connected to arms 3 on eccentric shafts at. These eccentric shafts are provided with collars having heads 5, which are socketed in the movable die 10.

The fixed die comprises two sections 7 and 8, bolted to each other and to the bed-plate of the machine. The movable die 9 has connected to it a companion die 10. This connection is at the ends of the dies, as best seen in Fig. 2, it comprising bolts passing through flanges on the top and bottom faces of the dies, which flanges serve to guide the movable heads in their stroke. The bulldozer-head has a stroke of about twenty-four inches, which is reduced, to a stroke of about three and one-fourth inches in the movable dies.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 5, it will be seen that the I-beam X to be acted upon is introduced into the side of the machine so that its back flange Z is received into an opening in the movable die part 9 and its front flange Y against the crown of the stationary die part 8 and in front of the movable die 10. illfhc ends of the Fbeain are carried by the connected movable dies, and as the said dies start to move, as shown in Figs. at and 6, the movable die 9 recedes until its straight-edged jaws engage the back flange Z. At about this time the companion movable die 10 engages the flange at the ends of the beam, so that they will be preserved in their original shape, and

the die continues its movement the flange Y, being held stationary by the jaws of the stationary die 8, will stretch the web of the beam, starting first at the center and gradually affecting the web on each side of the center until the movable die has completed its stroke, at which time the concaved face of the moving die 10 engages the outer face of the front flange Y and sets the same in the jaws of the fixed die 8, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. hen the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the movable die has completed its stroke, and from this position the dies are returned to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, so as to permit the shaped beam to be withdrawn and a new beam introduced in its place.

From the above description it will be seen that the depth of the beam through its center is increased, giving to the section the theoretical shape, having nearly uniform fiber stress throughout the entire length and with great economy in the use of material. By the operations herein described on a four-inch beam it will be obvious that the finished structure while having a central depth as great or greater than a five-inch beam will proportionately be much lighter in weight. The movement of the dies 9 and 10 is about twice the amount of the camber desired plus about onefourth of an inch for clearance to facilitate the introduction and removal of beams with burs, &c. The ideaof expanding the center instead of compressing the ends in brakebeams has a decided advantage. For instance, when a five-inch I-beam is used, where the ends are compressed, the weight and cost are greater than a four-inch I-beam, where the center is expanded to about five and onefourth inches. The expanded beam gives the same section modulus, and consequently has the same strength as the five-inch beam with compressed ends. The saving in weight in the use of a four-inch over a five-inch beam is about two pounds per foot.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with stationarilymounted spaced jaws, the faces on one side of which are crowned or arched to cooperate with the flange of a beam whose web passes between said jaws, of a movable die member having jaws for engaging the other flange of the beam; substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with stationarilymounted spaced jaws whose front faces are crowned or arched to receive the flange of a beam whose web passes between said jaws, of a movable die member having jaws for engaging the other flanges of the beam, and a companion movable die member for cooperating with the flange of the beam while it is being restrained by the stationary jaws; substantially as described.

In an apparatus for making brake-beams, the combination with stationary jaws whose faces at one side are crowned or arched and which cooperate with the flanges at one side of a beam, the web of said beam passing between said stationary jaws, of connected movable die members having jaws for engaging the flange at the opposite side of the beam, whereby the web of the beam is stretched, the other of said movable die members cooperating with the flange which is held by the stationary jaws at the end of the web-stretching movement; substantially as described.

at. In an apparatus for making brake-beams, the combination with stationary jaws spaced apart to receive the web of a beam, of movable die members for cooperating with said beam while it is held by thestationary jaws, the said movable die members being provided with ways whereby the beams may be slipped into and out of position lengthwise; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of January, 1905.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

Witnesses:

Chas. E. Gauss, UHARLns A. \VILLIAMs, Jr. 

